Return of the Centennial Cup for Canadian Junior Hockey League

As Canada’s National Junior A Championship prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in May in Portage la Prairie, Man., Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, has announced that Canada’s National Junior ‘A’ Championship will return to its original name, the Centennial Cup starting in 2020.

“There is a long-standing and deep-rooted history of this event that brings together the top Junior A teams from across the country and we look forward to honouring that history by returning to the event’s original name,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “For 49 years, hockey fans from across the country have embraced this tournament, and we are excited to officially reintroduce the Centennial Cup in Portage la Prairie in 2020 and celebrate the 50th edition of the event.”

The first Centennial Cup was launched in Manitoba. In 1971, the Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League claimed the inaugural championship and Centennial Trophy with a win over the Charlottetown Islanders. The final Centennial Cup was awarded to the Calgary Canucks in 1995, with the tournament being re-named the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018.

“Within the CJHL, we are exceedingly excited about reactivating the Centennial Cup,” said Canadian Junior Hockey League president Brent Ladds. “It represents a cherished memory from our past and will capture the period of the RBC Cup to maintain the history of the road to the National Junior A Championship, which is so important to our members.”

Hockey Canada also announced the schedule and ticket information for the 2020 Centennial Cup, set for May 9th – 17th at the 1,675-seat Stride Place.

The schedule features 10 preliminary-round games, including the host Portage Terriers’ tournament-opener at 2 p.m. CT on May 9 against the East region champions, along with two semifinals and the championship game. Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, TSN and RDS, will broadcast the championship game while all other games will be available via livestream at video.hockeycanada.ca

Full-event ticket packages, which include one ticket to all 13 games, can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets for $200 plus applicable fees. As with other Hockey Canada national championships, the net proceeds from all ticket sales remain in the host community of Portage la Prairie to assist with hockey programs that encourage the growth of the game in the city and surrounding communities. Historically, this event has generated more than $2 million in local economic impact.

The 2020 National Junior A Championship represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, and Hockey Manitoba.

For more information on the 2020 Centennial Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca.